Micro-RNA&#39;s that regulate muscle cells

ABSTRACT

The present invention describes microRNAs that regulate the differentiation, proliferation and death of cardiac and skeletal muscles cells. These molecules represent unique targets in the developmental pathways of muscle cells. They also can be used as active agents to induce differentiation in progenitor cells, and their down-regulation permits the maintenance and expansion of progenitor cell populations.

This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/668,187, filed Apr. 4, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEXT FILE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY

The contents of the text file submitted electronically herewith are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: A computer readable format copy of the Sequence Listing (filename: MIRG_018_01US_SubSeqList_ST25.txt, date recorded: Jan. 5, 2010, file size 71 kilobytes).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to fields of molecular and developmental biology. More particularly, the present invention relates to microRNAs that regulate differentiation, proliferation and death of cardican and skeletal muscle cells.

2. Description of Related Art

Cellular differentiation and organogenesis involve restricted zones of transcriptional regulation that govern gene expression patterns during specific temporal windows. One mechanism for regulating the target genes activated by transcriptional regulators involves the dose-sensitive response of cis elements to gradients of DNA-binding proteins. In this scenario, variances in the levels of transcription factors result in the activation or repression of diverse target genes allowing finer control of the spatial and temporal events of organogenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) mediate a recently recognized form of translational inhibition that alters dosages of critical regulators and thereby provides a mechanism for temporo-spatial control of developmental and homeostatic events in a wide range of plant and animal life (He and Hannon, 2004; Ambros, 2004; Meister and Tuschl, 20040. Genetic studies in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster suggest important functions for specific miRNAs in cell death and proliferation decisions through direct interaction of miRNAs with target sequences in messenger RNAs (Lee et al., 1993; Wightman and Ruvkun, 1993; Moss et al., 1997; Brennecke et al., 2003; Abrahante et al., 2003; Johnston and Hobert, 2003; Vella et al., 2004; Chang et al., 2004). However, an understanding of the specific roles and regulatory pathways controlled by mammalian miRNAs has been limited by the lack of reliable and specific methods to identify miRNA targets.

The transcriptional regulation of cardiomyocyte differentiation and cardiogenesis is highly conserved and requires sequential activation or repression of genetic programs (Chien and Olson, 2002; Srivastava and Olson, 2000). Early during heart formation cardiomyocytes proliferate even as they begin to differentiate, however they soon exit the cell cycle as differentiation progresses. Serum response factor (SRF) binds to CArG boxes in the regulatory region of numerous muscle-specific and growth-regulated genes and thus has a dual role in regulating the balance between proliferation and differentiation during cardiogenesis, in part through interaction with tissue-specific co-factors (Norman et al., 1988; Miralles et al., 2003; Shin et al., 2002; Chen et al 2002). Failure to maintain an adequate pool of undifferentiated myocyte precursors could result in organ hypoplasia as is observed in zebrafish that lack the transcription factor, Hand2 (Yelon et al., 2000). In this case, the ventricular pool of cardiomyocytes is greatly diminished, similar to the defect in ventricular expansion observed in mice lacking Hand2 along with its relative, Hand1 (Srivastava et al., 1995; Srivastava et al., 1997; Firulli et al., 1998; Yamagishi et al., 2001; McFadden et al., 2005). While dynamic temporal and spatial expression of regulatory pathways is important in cardiogenesis, whether microRNAs are involved in refining cardiac transcriptional activity is unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a nucleic acid comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:1-18. Also provided is a nucleic acid consisting of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:1-18, and may further be selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17 and 18. The nucleic acid may be a DNA or an RNA.

In another embodiment, there is provided an expression cassette comprising an enhancer region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:14, 15, 17 and 18. The expression cassette may comprise a nucleic acid segment comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, 5, 7, 9, and 10. A host cell comprising these expression cassettes also is contemplated. The expression cassette may be integrated into the host cell genome or episomal to the host cell genome. The expression cassette may comprise an origin of replication, and may be a viral or non-viral expression construct. The viral expression construct may be an adenovirus, a retrovirus, a pox virus, an adeno-associated virus, a polyoma virus or a herpesvirus. The host cell may be a muscle cell, for examle, a skeletal muscle cell, a cardiac cell, or muscle progenitor cell, such as a stem cell.

In yet another embodiment, there is provided a method of modulating the proliferation, differentiation or death of a muscle cell comprising contacting said cell with a miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133 nucleic acid. Contacting may comprise providing an miRNA to said cell, or providing an expression construct encoding miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2 to said cell. The muscle cell may be a skeletal muscle cell, a cardiac muscle cell, or muscle progenitor cell, such as a stem cell. The cell may be located in an animal subject, such as a human, or the cell may be contacted in vitro, wherein the method may comprise further culturing of said cell.

In still yet another embodiment, there is provided a method of modulating the proliferation, differentiation or death of a muscle cell comprising contacting said cell with an agent an antagonist of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2 function or expression. The muscle cell is may be muscle progenitor cell, such as a stem cell, a skeletal muscle cell or a cardiac muscle cell. The cell may be contacted in vitro, wherein the method may comprise further culturing of said cell. The agent may be a peptide, protein, DNA, RNA, antisense DNA, antisense RNA or small molecule.

In a further embodiment, there is provided a method of inhibiting differentiation of a muscle cell progenitor comprising inhibiting the function of one or more of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2. Inhibiting the function may comprises contacting the cell with one or more modified or unmodified antisense constructs directed to one or more of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2

In still a further embodiment, there is provided a method of inducing differentiation of a muscle cell progenitor comprising providing to said cell an agonist of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2. The agonist may be miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2. The agonist may also be an expression cassette encoding miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2. The agonist may be a peptide, protein or nucleic acid that stimulates the expression of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2. The agonist may be a serum response factor, myocardin, or an expression cassette encoding therefor. The cell may be located in an animal subject, such as a human, or the cell may be contacted in vitro, followed by culturing said cell in vitro. The method may further comprising, prior to contacting in vitro, obtaining said cell from an animal subject.

In still yet a further embodiment, there is provided a method of screening a candidate substance for an effect on muscle cell proliferation, differentiation or death comprising (a) providing a cell that expresses miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2; (b) contacting said cell with said candidate substance; and (c) assessing the effect of said candidate substance on the expression or stability of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2, wherein a candidate substance that modulates the expression or stability of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2 is a modulator of muscle cell proliferation, differentiation or death. The cell may be a muscle cell progenitor, such as a stem cell, a cardiac muscle cell or a skeletal muscle cell. Assessing may comprise measuring the cellular level or turnover of a miR-1-1, miR-1-2, or miR-133a2.

In another embodiment, there is provided a method of screening a candidate substance for an effect on muscle cell proliferation, differentiation or death comprising (a) providing a cell that carries an expression cassette under the control of a enhancer region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:14, 15, 17 and 18; (b) contacting said cell with said candidate substance; and (c) assessing the effect of said candidate substance on the expression of a product under the operational control of said enhancer, wherein a candidate substance that modulates the expression of said product is a modulator of muscle cell proliferation, differentiation or death. The product may be a screenable marker gene, such as an enzyme, a chemillumiscent protein or a fluorescent protein. The cell may be a muscle cell progenitor, such as a stem cell, or muscle cell, such as a cardiac muscle cell or a skeletal muscle cell.

A yet another embodiment, there is provided a method for identifying an inhibitory RNA sequence comprising (a) searching databases for mRNAs having a complete match at the 5′ eight base pairs; (b) further searching for additional mRNAs with a G/U wobble at the eighth position; (c) identifying mRNAs with corresponding homologues in at least two of the following genomes: chick, human, mouse and rat; (d) analyzing local mRNA second structure and selecting those mRNA with instability in the adjacent flanking regions; and (e) assessing stabilizing and destabilizing elements in said matched sequence, whereby an mRNA identified according to steps (a)-(e) is an inhibitory RNA. Step (c) may comprise identifying mRNA with corresponding homologues in all of chick, human, mouse and rat. Step (d) may comprise assessing local mRNA secondary structure 50 to 100 base pairs 5′ and/or 3′ to said matched sequence, or assessing local mRNA secondary structure about 70 base pairs 5′ and/or 3′ to said matched sequence.

It is contemplated that any method or composition described herein can be implemented with respect to any other method or composition described herein.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.”

These, and other, embodiments of the invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating various embodiments of the invention and numerous specific details thereof, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.

FIGS. 1A-E—miR-1s are highly conserved and cardiac- and skeletal muscle-specific. (FIG. 1A) Sequence alignment of predicted miR-1s from species indicated. The eight 5′ nucleotides are highlighted in red; non-conserved residues indicated in green (Worm miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 19; Fly miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 20; Frog miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 21; Zebrafish miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 22;Chick miR-1-1, SEQ ID NO. 23; Chick miR-1-2, SEQ ID NO. 24; Mouse miR-1-1, SEQ ID NO. 25; Mouse miR-1-2, SEQ ID NO. 26; Rat miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 27; Chimp miR-1-1, SEQ ID NO. 28; Chimp miR-1-2, SEQ ID NO. 29; Human miR-1-1, SEQ ID NO. 30; Human miR-1-2, SEQ ID NO. 31. (FIG. 1B) Multiple tissue Northern blot hybridized with miR-1-specific probe. Arrowhead indicates 70 bp unprocessed form and arrow indicates 21 bp miR-1. (FIG. 1C) Promoter region comparison between mouse and human. Percent conservation of a 4.6 kb or 10.7 kb genomic region around miR-1-1 or miR-1-2, respectively, between human and mouse using rVISTA. Embryonic expression of miR-1-1 (FIG. 1D) or miR-1-2 (FIG. 1E) marked by β-gal activity driven by genomic fragments indicated in (FIG. 1C) on whole-mount and sections. Note early inner curvature expression of miR-1-1 (arrowheads) and ventricular-specific expression of miR-1-2. v, ventricle; a, atrium; ot, outflow tract; s, somites; h, head; ht, heart; rv, right ventricle; lv, left ventricle.

FIGS. 2A-F—SRF, Mef2 and MyoD directly regulate miR-1 embryonic expression. Deletion and mutation analysis of upstream enhancers of miR-1-1 (FIG. 2A) or miR-1-2 (FIG. 2B). Summary of effects of mutations (*) on cardiac or somitic expression is indicated. Representative images are shown with construct numbers indicated. (FIGS. 2C-D) Electromobility shift assay using radiolabeled probes for each respective binding site (arrowhead). Asterisk indicates supershift with antibody. Cross-species conservation of binding sites also shown with distance upstream of miR-1 indicated. FIG. 2C. SRF Assay: (Human miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 32; Mouse miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 33; Chick miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 34; Fish miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 35; Mef2 Assay: (Human miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 36; Mouse miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 37; Chick miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 38. FIG. 2D. SRF Assay: (Human miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 39; Mouse miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 40; Chick miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 41; MyoD Assay: (Human miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 42; Mouse miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 43; Chick miR-1-1 enhancer, SEQ ID NO. 44. (FIG. 2E) “-fold” activation of luciferase downstream of miR-1-1 enhancer in Cos1 cells by SRF and myocardin with or without point mutation in SRF site. (FIG. 2F) RT-PCR of miR-1-2 expression in hearts from mice heterozygous or homozygous null for SRF showing in vivo dependency on SRF for miR-1 transcription.

FIGS. 3A-G—miR-1 regulates pool of proliferating ventricular cardiomyocytes and ventricular expansion. (FIG. 3A) and (FIG. 3D) represent transverse sections of wild-type (wt) or β-MHC-miR-1 transgenic (tg) hearts, respectively, at E13.5. Boxed area shown in close-up in (FIG. 3B) and (FIG. 3E) with bar indicating narrowed width of compact layer in transgenic hearts. (FIG. 3C) and (FIG. 3F) represent immunohistochemistry with antibody specific to phosphohistone H3 to mark proliferating cells. Arrows indicate cells that are cycling. (FIG. 3F) Quantification of cycling cells demonstrated statistically significant decrease (*) in number of proliferating cells in miR-1 transgenic hearts. ra, right atrium; la, left atrium; rv, right ventricle; lv, left ventricle;

FIGS. 4A-E—Prediction and validation of miR-1 targets. (FIG. 4A) Algorithm for in silico prediction of microRNA candidates. (FIG. 4B) Putative targets of miR-1 based on sequence matching and crossspecies comparison. Predicted ΔG of 70 bp 5′ and 3′ flanking regions neighboring potential target sites is shown. Presence of stabilizing element (SE) or destabilizing element (DSE) in target sequence is also summarized. (FIG. 4C) Approach for testing transferability of miR-1 target sequence to luciferase reporter using multimerized copies of wild-type (SEQ ID NO. 45) or mutant (*) sequence (SEQ ID NO. 46). Successful expression of mutant form of miR-1 is shown. (FIG. 4D) Fold activity of luciferase under various conditions is shown using the 3′ UTR target sequence of Hand2 from multiple species. Specific activity of the target was observed for all Hand2 UTR's and also for thymosin β4's target sequence. (FIG. 4E) Western blot of protein from ten-day old hearts overexpressing miR-1 with α-MHC promoter. Hand2 protein was decreased but thymosin β4 and IGF1 were unchanged, consistent with accessibility predictions. RNA transcripts of all were equal as seen by RT-PCR.

FIG. 5—Processed miR-1 is 21 bp in length. Northern analysis of synthesized miR-1 RNA of 21 bp, 23 bp, or phosphorylated 23 bp lengths, or RNA extracted from adult mouse heart (ht) or skeletal muscle (sk) hybridized to a miR-1 RNA probe. Endogenous miR-1 transcript migrates at same position as synthesized 21 bp form (arrow).

FIG. 6—Alignment of known microRNA targets from different species. MicroRNAs are aligned with their target sequences in 3′ UTRs. Lin-4, SEQ ID NO. 47; Lin-14 CB, SEQ ID NO. 48; Lin-14 CE, SEQ ID NO. 49; Lin-14 CR, SEQ ID NO. 50; Lin-28 CE, SEQ ID NO. 51; Lin-28 CR, SEQ ID NO. 52; Lin-28 CV, SEQ ID NO. 53; Let-7, SEQ ID NO. 54; Lin-41 CE, SEQ ID NO. 55; Lin-41 CR, SEQ ID NO. 56; Lin-41 CB, SEQ ID NO. 57; daf-12 CB, SEQ ID NO. 58; daf-12 CR, SEQ ID NO. 59; daf-12 CE, SEQ ID NO. 60; Lin57 CR, SEQ ID NO. 61; Lin57 CB, SEQ ID NO. 62; Lin57 CE, SEQ ID NO. 63; Lsy-6 CE, SEQ ID NO. 64; Cog-1 CE, SEQ ID NO. 65; Cog-1 CB, SEQ ID NO. 66; Lsy-6 CB, SEQ ID NO. 67; miR-273, SEQ ID NO. 68; die-1 CE, SEQ ID NO. 69; die-1 CB, SEQ ID NO. 70; Bantam, SEQ ID NO. 71; Hid D.sim, SEQ ID NO. 72; Hid D.ere, SEQ ID NO. 73; Hid D.mel, SEQ ID NO. 74; Hid D.yak, SEQ ID NO. 75; Hid D.pse, SEQ ID NO. 76; Hid D.ana, SEQ ID NO. 77; Hid D.vir, SEQ ID NO. 78; Hid D.moj, SEQ ID NO. 79; miR-196b, SEQ ID NO. 80; HOXB8 HS, SEQ ID NO. 81; HOXB8 MM, SEQ ID NO. 82; HOXB8 RN, SEQ ID NO. 83; HOXB8 XL, SEQ ID NO. 84; HOXB8 DR, SEQ ID NO. 85; HOXB8 TR, SEQ ID NO. 86; miR-375, SEQ ID NO. 87; myotrophin MM, SEQ ID NO. 88; myotrophin RN, SEQ ID NO. 89; myotrophin GG, SEQ ID NO. 90; myotrophin BT, SEQ ID NO. 91; myotrophin HS, SEQ ID NO. 92; myotrophin PT, SEQ ID NO. 93; myotrophin XL, SEQ ID NO. 94; myotrophin DR, SEQ ID NO. 95; Conserved residues matching 5′ (green) or 3′ (grey) end of miRNA sequence are indicated in red lettering. G/U matching is indicated by asterisk (*).

FIG. 7—Conserved miR-1 target sites in Hand2, TB4 and IGF1 3′ UTRs. Conserved residues matching 5′ (green) or 3′ (grey) end of miRNA sequence are indicated in red lettering. miR-1 complementary to Hand2 3′UTR: miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 6; DR, SEQ ID NO. 96; GG, SEQ ID NO. 97; SS, SEQ ID NO. 98; MM, SEQ ID NO. 99; RN, SEQ ID NO. 100; PT, SEQ ID NO. 101; HS, SEQ ID NO. 102. miR-1 complementary to TB4 3′UTR: miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 6; CL, SEQ ID NO. 103; XL, SEQ ID NO. 104; GG, SEQ ID NO. 105; ME, SEQ ID NO. 106; BT, SEQ ID NO. 107; MM, SEQ ID NO. 108; RN, SEQ ID NO. 109; PT, SEQ ID NO. 110; HS, SEQ ID NO. 111. miR-1 complementary to IGF1 3′UTR: miR-1, SEQ ID NO. 6; MM, SEQ ID NO. 112; EC, SEQ ID NO. 113; PT, SEQ ID NO. 114; HS, SEQ ID NO. 115; SS, SEQ ID NO. 116; CH, SEQ ID NO. 117; BT, SEQ ID NO. 118; OA, SEQ ID NO. 119; SC, SEQ ID NO. 120; GG SEQ ID NO. 121; XL, SEQ ID NO. 122.

FIG. 8—Transgenic overexpression of αMHC-miR-1. Northern analysis of wild-type (wt) and several lines of αMHC-miR1 transgenic mice. Arrowhead indicates pre-miRNA1 while arrow points to 21 bp processed form. Highly expressing lines were used for subsequent analysis.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present inventor has now shown that the cardiac and skeletal muscle-specific miRNAs, miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 are expressed in a chamber-specific fashion during cardiogenesis and are activated after initial cardiac specification and during the period of differentiation. He found that both genes were direct targets of SRF and its potent co-activator myocardin in the heart and were involved in negatively regulating ventricular cardiomyocyte proliferation (Wang et al., 2001). Further, the inventor provides evidence that RNA accessibility is a major feature of miRNA target recognition and incorporated this observation with cross-species sequence matching to identify Hand2 as an evolutionarily conserved target of miR-1. This work reveals a novel mechanism for regulation of the balance between muscle differentiation and proliferation during organogenesis and may provide a reliable and specific method for identification of microRNA targets.

The description of a conserved cardiac and skeletal muscle-specific regulatory pathway involving an miRNA that regulates translation of the central cardiac transcription factor, Hand2, represents the first identification of cis- and trans-regulatory components of an miRNA in vertebrates, and only the third vertebrate miRNA target validated by determination of effects on endogenous protein. The early exit of cardiomyocytes from the cell cycle upon overexpression of miR-1 may reflect its role downstream of SRF and myocardin to more finely regulate the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation. The potential role of miR-1s in mediating MyoD's role in skeletal muscle differentiation may be equally important and awaits future studies.

The highest levels of Hand2 mRNA transcripts are present at the earliest stages of cardiogenesis (E7.75), prior to heart tube formation, with transcript levels declining soon after cardiac looping (Srivastava et al., 1995; Srivastava et al., 1997). This observation, combined with loss-of-function effects in mice and fish, has suggested that Hand2 may be necessary for early expansion of the cardiomyocyte pool but may need to be downregulated as differentiation proceeds. The observation that miR-1 expression begins after cardiac looping and becomes robust only later is consistent with a model in which temporal regulation of Hand2 activity is necessary for cardiac differentiation. It is also interesting that miR-1-1 is initially only expressed in the inner curvature of the heart, but not the outer curvature where cellular expansion is necessary. Thus, miR-1s appear to both temporally and spatially regulate their targets, which likely contribute to multiple aspects of cardiogenesis.

This type of regulation may be a common method during embryogenesis to titrate the effects of critical signaling and transcriptional pathways to allow appropriate decisions of cell fate, proliferation and differentiation. The algorithm the inventor used to predict miRNA targets is based on observations from previously validated targets and an attempt to begin to develop certain “principles” that appear to be followed by known miRNAs and their targets (Lee et al., 1993; Wightman and Ruvkun, 1993; Moss et al., 1997; Brennecke et al., 2003; Abrahante et al., 2003; Johnston and Hobert, 2003; Vella et al., 2004; Chang et al., 2004; Yekta et al., 2004; Poy et al., 2004; Grosshans et al., 2005). The major difference between this approach and others is the additional evaluation of energy states of sequences flanking the miRNA target (ΔG) and the presence or absence of SE/DSE in target RNA. Thus, the RNA secondary structure and resulting accessibility of the target sequence appears to be a major predictor of miRNA recognition. Consistent with this, ATP-assisted unwinding of RNA secondary structure does not seem to be involved in siRNA target recognition (Haley and Zamore, 2004; Doench et al., 2003). The inventor proposes a model in which miRNAs preferentially target 3′UTR regions with less complex secondary structure.

1. miR-1-1, miR-1-2 and mi-R-133a2 MicroRNA1

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a series of related micro RNAs that constitute a family of conserved, muscle-specific RNAs that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of muscle cells, particularly skeletal and cardiac muscle cells.

In particular embodiments, the invention concerns isolated RNA and DNA segments and recombinant vectors incorporating DNA sequences that encode miR-1-1, miR-1-2, miR-133a2 (SEQ ID NOS:1, 4-12). These molecules may be provided as an isolated RNA, or a DNA or recombinant vector encoding such a non-coding RNA according to the present invention. As used herein, the term “nucleic acid” refers to a polymer of DNA, RNA or a derivative or mimic thereof, of sufficient length to encode a non-coding RNA or a portion thereof.

A. Oligonucleotides

The term “oligonucleotide” generally refers to a polymer of DNA, RNA or a derivative or mimic thereof, of between about 5 and about 100 bases in length. The term “polynucleotide” generally refers to a polymer of DNA, RNA or a derivative or mimic thereof, of greater than about 100 bases in length. Thus, it will be understood that the term “nucleic acid” encompasses both the terms “oligonucleotide” and “polynucleotide.” These definitions may refer to single-stranded molecules, but also also encompass double-stranded molecules, for example, when comprised within DNA vectors.

As used herein, the term “isolated RNA segment” refers to a RNA molecule that has been isolated free or substantially free of total RNA. Similarly, an isolated DNA segment encoding an ncRNA segment of the present invention refers to a DNA segment that has been isolated away from, or substantially purified free of, total genomic DNA. Included within the term “segment,” are smaller fragments of such segments, and much larger molecules such as vectors, including, for example, plasmids, cosmids, phage, viruses, and the like. It will also be understood that nucleic acid sequences may include additional bases such as at the 5′ and/or 3′ sequences, so long as the sequence meets the criteria set forth above, including the maintenance of biological activity.

In addition to the “standard” DNA and/or RNA nucleotide bases, modified bases are also contemplated for use in particular applications of the present invention. A table of exemplary, but not limiting, modified bases is provided herein below.

TABLE 1 Modified Bases Modified base Modified base Abbr. description Abbr. description ac4c 4-acetylcytidine mam5s2u 5-methoxyaminomethyl- 2-thiouridine chm5u 5-(carboxy- man q beta,D- hydroxyl- mannosylqueosine methyl)uridine Cm 2′-O-methyl- mcm5s2u 5- cytidine methoxycarbonylmethyl- 2-thiouridine Cmnm5s2u 5-carboxy- mcm5u 5-methoxycarbonyl- methylamino- methyluridine methyl-2-thioridine Cmnm5u 5- mo5u 5-methoxyuridine carboxymethyl- aminomethyluridine D Dihydrouridine ms2i6a 2-methylthio-N6- isopentenyladenosine Fm 2′-O-methyl- ms2t6a N-((9-beta-D- pseudouridine ribofuranosyl-2- methylthiopurine-6- yl)carbamoyl)threonine gal q beta,D- mt6a N-((9-beta-D- galactosyl- ribofuranosylpurine-6- queosine yl)N-methyl- carbamoyl)threonine gm 2′-O-methyl- mv uridine-5-oxyacetic acid guanosine methylester i Inosine o5u uridine-5-oxyacetic acid (v) i6a N6- osyw wybutoxosine isopentenyl- adenosine m1a 1- p pseudouridine methyl- adenosine m1f 1- q queosine methyl- pseudouridine m1g 1- s2c 2-thiocytidine methyl- guanosine m1i 1- s2t 5-methyl-2-thiouridine methyl- inosine m22g 2,2- s2u 2-thiouridine dimethyl- guanosine m2a 2- s4u 4-thiouridine methyl- adenosine m2g 2- t 5-methyluridine methyl- guanosine m3c 3-methyl- t6a N-((9-beta-D- cytidine ribofuranosylpurine-6- yl)carbamoyl)threonine m5c 5-methyl- tm 2′-O-methyl-5- cytidine methyluridine m6a N6-methyl- um 2′-O-methyluridine adenosine m7g 7-methyl- yw wybutosine guanosine mam5u 5-methyl- x 3-(3-amino-3- amino- carboxypropyl)uridine, methyluridine (acp3)u

It is contemplated that a nucleic acid fragment of the present invention may be almost any length. A general size range for the miRNAs themsevles will be 20 to 90-100 bases. It will be readily understood that intermediate lengths, such as 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, or 99, are contemplated as well.

Accordingly, the RNA sequences of the disclosure are used for their ability to selectively form duplex molecules with complementary stretches of target genes and/or mRNAs. In screening for related RNA molecules with inhibitory activity, the hybridization conditions will generally be selected to mimic those in in cyto environments. By way of reference, “stringent conditions” are those that allow hybridization between two homologous nucleic acid sequences, but preclude hybridization of random sequences. Hybridization at high temperature and/or low ionic strength is termed high stringency. In contrast, hybridization at low temperature and/or high ionic strength is termed “low stringency,” which permits hyridization of less related sequences. Low stringency is generally performed at 0.15 M to 0.9 M NaCl at a temperature range of 20° C. to 50° C. High stringency is generally performed at 0.02 M to 0.15 M NaCl at a temperature range of 50° C. to 70° C. Other factors that can affect stringency are the presence of formamide, tetramethylammonium chloride and/or other solvents in the hybridization mixture.

B. Nucleic Acid Synthesis De Novo

In one embodiment, the RNA molecules of the present invention may be synthesized de novo, i.e., chemically. Non-limiting examples of a synthetic nucleic acid (e.g., a synthetic oligonucleotide), include a nucleic acid made by in vitro chemical synthesis using phosphotriester, phosphite or phosphoramidite chemistry and solid phase techniques such as described in EP 266 032, incorporated herein by reference, or via deoxynucleoside H-phosphonate intermediates as described by Froehler et al. (1986) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,629, each incorporated herein by reference. Various different mechanisms of nucleic acid synthesis have been disclosed in for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,774, 4,704,362, 4,816,571, 5,141,813, 5,264,566, 4,959,463, 5,221,619, 5,428,148, 5,554,744, 5,574,146, 5,602,244, and 5,583,013 each of which is incorporated herein by reference. A general discussion of chemical synthesis of nucleic acid methods follows below.

Diester method. The diester method was the first to be developed to a usable state, primarily by Khorana and co-workers (Khorana, 1979). The basic step is the joining of two suitably protected deoxynucleotides to form a dideoxynucleotide containing a phosphodiester bond. The diester method is well established and has been used to synthesize DNA molecules (Khorana, 1979).

Triester method. The main difference between the diester and triester methods is the presence in the latter of an extra protecting group on the phosphate atoms of the reactants and products (Itakura et al., 1975). The phosphate protecting group is usually a chlorophenyl group, which renders the nucleotides and polynucleotide intermediates soluble in organic solvents. Therefore purification's are done in chloroform solutions. Other improvements in the method include (i) the block coupling of trimers and larger oligomers, (ii) the extensive use of high-performance liquid chromatography for the purification of both intermediate and final products, and (iii) solid-phase synthesis.

Polynucleotide phosphorylase method. This is an enzymatic method of DNA synthesis that can be used to synthesize many useful oligodeoxynucleotides (Gillam et al., 1978; Gillam et al., 1979). Under controlled conditions, polynucleotide phosphorylase adds predominantly a single nucleotide to a short oligodeoxynucleotide. Chromatographic purification allows the desired single adduct to be obtained. At least a trimer is required to start the procedure, and this primer must be obtained by some other method. The polynucleotide phosphorylase method works and has the advantage that the procedures involved are familiar to most biochemists.

Solid-phase methods. Drawing on the technology developed for the solid-phase synthesis of polypeptides, it has been possible to attach the initial nucleotide to solid support material and proceed with the stepwise addition of nucleotides. All mixing and washing steps are simplified, and the procedure becomes amenable to automation. These syntheses are now routinely carried out using automatic DNA synthesizers.

Phosphoramidite chemistry (Beaucage and Lyer, 1992) has become by far the most widely used coupling chemistry for the synthesis of oligonucleotides. As is well known to those skilled in the art, phosphoramidite synthesis of oligonucleotides involves activation of nucleoside phosphoramidite monomer precursors by reaction with an activating agent to form activated intermediates, followed by sequential addition of the activated intermediates to the growing oligonucleotide chain (generally anchored at one end to a suitable solid support) to form the oligonucleotide product.

2. Screening for Inhibitory RNAs

The present inventor now describes a new approach to identifying putative microRNA using the assumptions and criteria set forth in FIG. 4A. First, one will search for mRNAs having a complete match to the first 8 nucleotides of miR-1. Second, consistent with recent reports of free energy of binding (Doench and Sharp, 2004), an A to G switch at the 8th nucleotide is predicted to give the strongest ΔG, suggesting that a G-U wobble at this position would be allowed or preferred for microRNA binding to its mRNA targets. Third, one assumes that true 3′ UTR targets share conservation between chick, mouse, rat and human, and thus cross-species searches are performed. One will then analyze the local mRNA secondary structure (e.g., 70 bp 5′ and 3′ of the putative miRNA binding site; using mFold is exemplified), selecting for instability within the flanking region, and finally assessing the secondary structure of the target sequence for stabilizing or destabilizing elements. The same approach may be used to identify siRNAs as well.

3. Expression Constructs

A. Vectors

In accordance with the present invention, it may be desirable to express the miRNAs of the present invention. The term “vector” is used to refer to a carrier nucleic acid molecule into which a nucleic acid sequence can be inserted for introduction into a cell where it can be replicated. A nucleic acid sequence can be “exogenous,” which means that it is foreign to the cell into which the vector is being introduced or that the sequence is homologous to a sequence in the cell but in a position within the host cell nucleic acid in which the sequence is ordinarily not found. Vectors include plasmids, cosmids, viruses (bacteriophage, animal viruses, and plant viruses), and artificial chromosomes (e.g., BACs, YACs). One of skill in the art would be well equipped to construct a vector through standard recombinant techniques (see, for example, Maniatis et al., 1988 and Ausubel et al., 1994, both incorporated herein by reference).

The term “expression vector” refers to any type of genetic construct comprising a nucleic acid coding for a RNA capable of being transcribed. Expression vectors can contain a variety of “control sequences,” which refer to nucleic acid sequences necessary for the transcription and possibly translation of an operably linked coding sequence in a particular host cell. In addition to control sequences that govern transcription and translation, vectors and expression vectors may contain nucleic acid sequences that serve other functions as well and are described infra.

i. Promoters and Enhancers

A “promoter” is a control sequence that is a region of a nucleic acid sequence at which initiation and rate of transcription are controlled. It may contain genetic elements at which regulatory proteins and molecules may bind, such as RNA polymerase and other transcription factors, to initiate the specific transcription a nucleic acid sequence. The phrases “operatively positioned,” “operatively linked,” “under control,” and “under transcriptional control” mean that a promoter is in a correct functional location and/or orientation in relation to a nucleic acid sequence to control transcriptional initiation and/or expression of that sequence.

A promoter generally comprises a sequence that functions to position the start site for RNA synthesis. The best known example of this is the TATA box, but in some promoters lacking a TATA box, such as, for example, the promoter for the mammalian terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase gene and the promoter for the SV40 late genes, a discrete element overlying the start site itself helps to fix the place of initiation. Additional promoter elements regulate the frequency of transcriptional initiation. Typically, these are located in the region 30-110 bp upstream of the start site, although a number of promoters have been shown to contain functional elements downstream of the start site as well. To bring a coding sequence “under the control of” a promoter, one positions the 5′ end of the transcription initiation site of the transcriptional reading frame “downstream” of (i.e., 3′ of) the chosen promoter. The “upstream” promoter stimulates transcription of the DNA and promotes expression of the encoded RNA.

The spacing between promoter elements frequently is flexible, so that promoter function is preserved when elements are inverted or moved relative to one another. In the tk promoter, the spacing between promoter elements can be increased to 50 bp apart before activity begins to decline. Depending on the promoter, it appears that individual elements can function either cooperatively or independently to activate transcription. A promoter may or may not be used in conjunction with an “enhancer,” which refers to a cis-acting regulatory sequence involved in the transcriptional activation of a nucleic acid sequence.

A promoter may be one naturally associated with a nucleic acid sequence, as may be obtained by isolating the 5′ non-coding sequences located upstream of the coding segment and/or exon. Such a promoter can be referred to as “endogenous.” Similarly, an enhancer may be one naturally associated with a nucleic acid sequence, located either downstream or upstream of that sequence. Alternatively, certain advantages will be gained by positioning the coding nucleic acid segment under the control of a recombinant or heterologous promoter, which refers to a promoter that is not normally associated with a nucleic acid sequence in its natural environment. A recombinant or heterologous enhancer refers also to an enhancer not normally associated with a nucleic acid sequence in its natural environment. Such promoters or enhancers may include promoters or enhancers of other genes, and promoters or enhancers isolated from any other virus, or prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell, and promoters or enhancers not “naturally occurring,” i.e., containing different elements of different transcriptional regulatory regions, and/or mutations that alter expression. For example, promoters that are most commonly used in recombinant DNA construction include the β-lactamase (penicillinase), lactose and tryptophan (trp) promoter systems. In addition to producing nucleic acid sequences of promoters and enhancers synthetically, sequences may be produced using recombinant cloning and/or nucleic acid amplification technology, including PCR™, in connection with the compositions disclosed herein (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,202 and 5,928,906, each incorporated herein by reference). Furthermore, it is contemplated the control sequences that direct transcription and/or expression of sequences within non-nuclear organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, and the like, can be employed as well.

Naturally, it will be important to employ a promoter and/or enhancer that effectively directs the expression of the DNA segment in the organelle, cell type, tissue, organ, or organism chosen for expression. Those of skill in the art of molecular biology generally know the use of promoters, enhancers, and cell type combinations for protein expression, (see, for example Sambrook et al. (2001), incorporated herein by reference). The promoters employed may be constitutive, tissue-specific, inducible, and/or useful under the appropriate conditions to direct high level expression of the introduced DNA segment. The promoter may be heterologous or endogenous.

Additionally any promoter/enhancer combination (as per, for example, the Eukaryotic Promoter Data Base EPDB, www.epd.isb-sib.ch/) could also be used to drive expression. Use of a T3, T7 or SP6 cytoplasmic expression system is another possible embodiment. Eukaryotic cells can support cytoplasmic transcription from certain bacterial promoters if the appropriate bacterial polymerase is provided, either as part of the delivery complex or as an additional genetic expression construct.

Of particular interest in the present invention are the enhancer sequences identified as SEQ ID NOS:14, 15, 17, and 18.

ii. Initiation Signals and Internal Ribosome Binding Sites

A specific initiation signal also may be required for efficient translation of coding sequences. These signals include the ATG initiation codon or adjacent sequences. Exogenous translational control signals, including the ATG initiation codon, may need to be provided. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily be capable of determining this and providing the necessary signals. It is well known that the initiation codon must be “in-frame” with the reading frame of the desired coding sequence to ensure translation of the entire insert. The exogenous translational control signals and initiation codons can be either natural or synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of appropriate transcription enhancer elements.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the use of internal ribosome entry sites (IRES) elements are used to create multigene, or polycistronic, messages. IRES elements are able to bypass the ribosome scanning model of 5′ methylated Cap dependent translation and begin translation at internal sites (Pelletier and Sonenberg, 1988). IRES elements from two members of the picornavirus family (polio and encephalomyocarditis) have been described (Pelletier and Sonenberg, 1988), as well an IRES from a mammalian message (Macejak and Sarnow, 1991). IRES elements can be linked to heterologous open reading frames. Multiple open reading frames can be transcribed together, each separated by an IRES, creating polycistronic messages. By virtue of the IRES element, each open reading frame is accessible to ribosomes for efficient translation. Multiple genes can be efficiently expressed using a single promoter/enhancer to transcribe a single message (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,925,565 and 5,935,819, each herein incorporated by reference).

iii. Multiple Cloning Sites

Vectors can include a multiple cloning site (MCS), which is a nucleic acid region that contains multiple restriction enzyme sites, any of which can be used in conjunction with standard recombinant technology to digest the vector (see, for example, Carbonelli et al., 1999, Levenson et al., 1998, and Cocea, 1997, incorporated herein by reference.) “Restriction enzyme digestion” refers to catalytic cleavage of a nucleic acid molecule with an enzyme that functions only at specific locations in a nucleic acid molecule. Many of these restriction enzymes are commercially available. Use of such enzymes is widely understood by those of skill in the art. Frequently, a vector is linearized or fragmented using a restriction enzyme that cuts within the MCS to enable exogenous sequences to be ligated to the vector. “Ligation” refers to the process of forming phosphodiester bonds between two nucleic acid fragments, which may or may not be contiguous with each other. Techniques involving restriction enzymes and ligation reactions are well known to those of skill in the art of recombinant technology.

iv. Termination Signals

The vectors or constructs of the present invention will generally comprise at least one termination signal. A “termination signal” or “terminator” is comprised of the DNA sequences involved in specific termination of an RNA transcript by an RNA polymerase. Thus, in certain embodiments a termination signal that ends the production of an RNA transcript is contemplated. A terminator may be necessary in vivo to achieve desirable message levels.

In eukaryotic systems, the terminator region may also comprise specific DNA sequences that permit site-specific cleavage of the new transcript so as to expose a polyadenylation site. This signals a specialized endogenous polymerase to add a stretch of about 200 A residues (polyA) to the 3′ end of the transcript. RNA molecules modified with this polyA tail appear to more stable and are translated more efficiently. Thus, in other embodiments involving eukaryotes, it is preferred that that terminator comprises a signal for the cleavage of the RNA, and it is more preferred that the terminator signal promotes polyadenylation of the message. The terminator and/or polyadenylation site elements can serve to enhance message levels and to minimize read through from the cassette into other sequences.

Terminators contemplated for use in the invention include any known terminator of transcription described herein or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, including but not limited to, for example, the termination sequences of genes, such as for example the bovine growth hormone terminator or viral termination sequences, such as for example the SV40 terminator. In certain embodiments, the termination signal may be a lack of transcribable or translatable sequence, such as due to a sequence truncation.

V. Polyadenylation Signals

In expression, particularly eukaryotic expression, one will typically include a polyadenylation signal to effect proper polyadenylation of the transcript. The nature of the polyadenylation signal is not believed to be crucial to the successful practice of the invention, and any such sequence may be employed. Preferred embodiments include the SV40 polyadenylation signal or the bovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal, convenient and known to function well in various target cells. Polyadenylation may increase the stability of the transcript or may facilitate cytoplasmic transport.

vi. Origins of Replication

In order to propagate a vector in a host cell, it may contain one or more origins of replication sites (often termed “ori”), which is a specific nucleic acid sequence at which replication is initiated. Alternatively an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) can be employed if the host cell is yeast.

vii. Selectable and Screenable Markers

In certain embodiments of the invention, cells containing a nucleic acid construct of the present invention may be identified in vitro or in vivo by including a marker in the expression vector. Such markers would confer an identifiable change to the cell permitting easy identification of cells containing the expression vector. Generally, a selectable marker is one that confers a property that allows for selection. A positive selectable marker is one in which the presence of the marker allows for its selection, while a negative selectable marker is one in which its presence prevents its selection. An example of a positive selectable marker is a drug resistance marker.

Usually the inclusion of a drug selection marker aids in the cloning and identification of transformants, for example, genes that confer resistance to neomycin, puromycin, hygromycin, DHFR, GPT, zeocin and histidinol are useful selectable markers. In addition to markers conferring a phenotype that allows for the discrimination of transformants based on the implementation of conditions, other types of markers including screenable markers such as GFP, whose basis is colorimetric analysis, are also contemplated. Alternatively, screenable enzymes such as herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (tk) or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) may be utilized. One of skill in the art would also know how to employ immunologic markers, possibly in conjunction with FACS analysis. The marker used is not believed to be important, so long as it is capable of being expressed simultaneously with the nucleic acid encoding a gene product. Further examples of selectable and screenable markers are well known to one of skill in the art.

viii. Plasmid Vectors

In certain embodiments, a plasmid vector is contemplated for use to transform a host cell. In general, plasmid vectors containing replicon and control sequences which are derived from species compatible with the host cell are used in connection with these hosts. The vector ordinarily carries a replication site, as well as marking sequences which are capable of providing phenotypic selection in transformed cells. In a non-limiting example, E. coli is often transformed using derivatives of pBR322, a plasmid derived from an E. coli species. pBR322 contains genes for ampicillin and tetracycline resistance and thus provides easy means for identifying transformed cells. The pBR plasmid, or other microbial plasmid or phage must also contain, or be modified to contain, for example, promoters which can be used by the microbial organism for expression of its own proteins.

In addition, phage vectors containing replicon and control sequences that are compatible with the host microorganism can be used as transforming vectors in connection with these hosts. For example, the phage lambda GEM™-11 may be utilized in making a recombinant phage vector which can be used to transform host cells, such as, for example, E. coli LE392.

Further useful plasmid vectors include pIN vectors (Inouye et al., 1985); and pGEX vectors, for use in generating glutathione S-transferase (GST) soluble fusion proteins for later purification and separation or cleavage. Other suitable fusion proteins are those with β-galactosidase, ubiquitin, and the like.

Bacterial host cells, for example, E. coli, comprising the expression vector, are grown in any of a number of suitable media, for example, LB. The expression of the recombinant protein in certain vectors may be induced, as would be understood by those of skill in the art, by contacting a host cell with an agent specific for certain promoters, e.g., by adding IPTG to the media or by switching incubation to a higher temperature. After culturing the bacteria for a further period, generally of between 2 and 24 h, the cells are collected by centrifugation and washed to remove residual media.

ix. Viral Vectors

The ability of certain viruses to infect cells or enter cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, and to integrate into host cell genome and express viral genes stably and efficiently have made them attractive candidates for the transfer of foreign nucleic acids into cells (e.g., mammalian cells). Non-limiting examples of virus vectors that may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the present invention are described below.

Adenoviral Vectors. A particular method for delivery of nucleic acids involves the use of an adenovirus expression vector. Although adenovirus vectors are known to have a low capacity for integration into genomic DNA, this feature is counterbalanced by the high efficiency of gene transfer afforded by these vectors. “Adenovirus expression vector” is meant to include those constructs containing adenovirus sequences sufficient to (a) support packaging of the construct and (b) to ultimately express a tissue or cell-specific construct that has been cloned therein. Knowledge of the genetic organization or adenovirus, a 36 kb, linear, double-stranded DNA virus, allows substitution of large pieces of adenoviral DNA with foreign sequences up to 7 kb (Grunhaus and Horwitz, 1992).

AAV Vectors. The nucleic acid may be introduced into a cell using adenovirus-assisted transfection. Increased transfection efficiencies have been reported in cell systems using adenovirus coupled systems (Kelleher and Vos, 1994; Cotten et al., 1992; Curiel, 1994). Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is an attractive vector system as it has a high frequency of integration and it can infect nondividing cells, thus making it useful for delivery of genes into mammalian cells, for example, in tissue culture (Muzyczka, 1992) or in vivo. AAV has a broad host range for infectivity (Tratschin et al., 1984; Laughlin et al., 1986; Lebkowski et al., 1988; McLaughlin et al., 1988). Details concerning the generation and use of rAAV vectors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,941 and 4,797,368, each incorporated herein by reference.

Retroviral Vectors. Retroviruses have promise as delivery vectors due to their ability to integrate their genes into the host genome, transferring a large amount of foreign genetic material, infecting a broad spectrum of species and cell types and of being packaged in special cell-lines (Miller, 1992).

In order to construct a retroviral vector, a nucleic acid is inserted into the viral genome in the place of certain viral sequences to produce a virus that is replication-defective. In order to produce virions, a packaging cell line containing the gag, pol, and env genes but without the LTR and packaging components is constructed (Mann et al., 1983). When a recombinant plasmid containing a cDNA, together with the retroviral LTR and packaging sequences is introduced into a special cell line (e.g., by calcium phosphate precipitation for example), the packaging sequence allows the RNA transcript of the recombinant plasmid to be packaged into viral particles, which are then secreted into the culture media (Nicolas and Rubenstein, 1988; Temin, 1986; Mann et al., 1983). The media containing the recombinant retroviruses is then collected, optionally concentrated, and used for gene transfer. Retroviral vectors are able to infect a broad variety of cell types. However, integration and stable expression require the division of host cells (Paskind et al., 1975).

Lentiviruses are complex retroviruses, which, in addition to the common retroviral genes gag, pol, and env, contain other genes with regulatory or structural function. Lentiviral vectors are well known in the art (see, for example, Naldini et al., 1996; Zufferey et al., 1997; Blomer et al., 1997; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,516 and 5,994,136). Some examples of lentivirus include the Human Immunodeficiency Viruses: HIV-1, HIV-2 and the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus: SIV. Lentiviral vectors have been generated by multiply attenuating the HIV virulence genes, for example, the genes env, vif, vpr, vpu and nef are deleted making the vector biologically safe.

Recombinant lentiviral vectors are capable of infecting non-dividing cells and can be used for both in vivo and ex vivo gene transfer and expression of nucleic acid sequences. For example, recombinant lentivirus capable of infecting a non-dividing cell wherein a suitable host cell is transfected with two or more vectors carrying the packaging functions, namely gag, pol and env, as well as rev and tat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,136, incorporated herein by reference. One may target the recombinant virus by linkage of the envelope protein with an antibody or a particular ligand for targeting to a receptor of a particular cell-type. By inserting a sequence (including a regulatory region) of interest into the viral vector, along with another gene which encodes the ligand for a receptor on a specific target cell, for example, the vector is now target-specific.

Other Viral Vectors. Other viral vectors may be employed as vaccine constructs in the present invention. Vectors derived from viruses such as vaccinia virus (Ridgeway, 1988; Baichwal and Sugden, 1986; Coupar et al., 1988), sindbis virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus may be employed. They offer several attractive features for various mammalian cells (Friedmann, 1989; Ridgeway, 1988; Baichwal and Sugden, 1986; Coupar et al., 1988; Horwich et al., 1990).

Delivery Using Modified Viruses. A nucleic acid to be delivered may be housed within an infective virus that has been engineered to express a specific binding ligand. The virus particle will thus bind specifically to the cognate receptors of the target cell and deliver the contents to the cell. A novel approach designed to allow specific targeting of retrovirus vectors was developed based on the chemical modification of a retrovirus by the chemical addition of lactose residues to the viral envelope. This modification can permit the specific infection of hepatocytes via sialoglycoprotein receptors.

Another approach to targeting of recombinant retroviruses was designed in which biotinylated antibodies against a retroviral envelope protein and against a specific cell receptor were used. The antibodies were coupled via the biotin components by using streptavidin (Roux et al., 1989). Using antibodies against major histocompatibility complex class I and class II antigens, they demonstrated the infection of a variety of human cells that bore those surface antigens with an ecotropic virus in vitro (Roux et al., 1989).

x. Non-Viral Vector Delivery

Suitable methods for nucleic acid delivery to cells for use with the current invention are believed to include virtually any method by which a nucleic acid (e.g., DNA), as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such methods include, but are not limited to, direct delivery of DNA such as by ex vivo transfection (Wilson et al., 1989, Nabel et al, 1989), by injection (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,994,624, 5,981,274, 5,945,100, 5,780,448, 5,736,524, 5,702,932, 5,656,610, 5,589,466 and 5,580,859, each incorporated herein by reference), including microinjection (Harland and Weintraub, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,215, incorporated herein by reference); by electroporation (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,253, incorporated herein by reference; Tur-Kaspa et al., 1986; Potter et al., 1984); by calcium phosphate precipitation (Graham and Van Der Eb, 1973; Chen and Okayama, 1987; Rippe et al., 1990); by using DEAE-dextran followed by polyethylene glycol (Gopal, 1985); by direct sonic loading (Fechheimer et al, 1987); by liposome-mediated transfection (Nicolau and Sene, 1982; Fraley et al., 1979; Nicolau et al., 1987; Wong et al., 1980; Kaneda et al., 1989; Kato et al., 1991) and receptor-mediated transfection (Wu and Wu, 1987; Wu and Wu, 1988); by microprojectile bombardment (PCT Application Nos. WO 94/09699 and 95/06128; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,610,042; 5,322,783 5,563,055, 5,550,318, 5,538,877 and 5,538,880, and each incorporated herein by reference); by agitation with silicon carbide fibers (Kaeppler et al., 1990; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,302,523 and 5,464,765, each incorporated herein by reference); by desiccation/inhibition-mediated DNA uptake (Potrykus et al., 1985), and any combination of such methods.

xi. Ex Vivo Transformation

Methods for tranfecting vascular cells and tissues removed from an organism in an ex vivo setting are known to those of skill in the art. For example, cannine endothelial cells have been genetically altered by retrovial gene tranfer in vitro and transplanted into a canine (Wilson et al., 1989). In another example, yucatan minipig endothelial cells were tranfected by retrovirus in vitro and transplated into an artery using a double-ballonw catheter (Nabel et al., 1989). Thus, it is contemplated that cells or tissues may be removed and tranfected ex vivo using the nucleic acids of the present invention. In particular aspects, the transplanted cells or tissues may be placed into an organism. In preferred facets, a nucleic acid is expressed in the transplated cells or tissues.

Injection. In certain embodiments, a nucleic acid may be delivered to an organelle, a cell, a tissue or an organism via one or more injections (i.e., a needle injection), such as, for example, subcutaneously, intradermally, intramuscularly, intravenously, intraperitoneally, etc. Methods of injection of vaccines are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., injection of a composition comprising a saline solution). Further embodiments of the present invention include the introduction of a nucleic acid by direct microinjection. Direct microinjection has been used to introduce nucleic acid constructs into Xenopus oocytes (Harland and Weintraub, 1985). The amount of nucleic acid used may vary upon the nature of the antigen as well as the organelle, cell, tissue or organism used

Electroporation. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a nucleic acid is introduced into an organelle, a cell, a tissue or an organism via electroporation. Electroporation involves the exposure of a suspension of cells and DNA to a high-voltage electric discharge. In some variants of this method, certain cell wall-degrading enzymes, such as pectin-degrading enzymes, are employed to render the target recipient cells more susceptible to transformation by electroporation than untreated cells (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,253, incorporated herein by reference). Alternatively, recipient cells can be made more susceptible to transformation by mechanical wounding.

Transfection of eukaryotic cells using electroporation has been quite successful. Mouse pre-B lymphocytes have been transfected with human kappa-immunoglobulin genes (Potter et al., 1984), and rat hepatocytes have been transfected with the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (Tur-Kaspa et al., 1986) in this manner.

To effect transformation by electroporation in cells such as, for example, plant cells, one may employ either friable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogenic callus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or other organized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partially degrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them to pectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wounding in a controlled manner. Examples of some species which have been transformed by electroporation of intact cells include maize (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,253; Rhodes et al., 1995; D'Halluin et al., 1992), wheat (Zhou et al., 1993), tomato (Hou and Lin, 1996), soybean (Christou et al., 1987) and tobacco (Lee et al., 1989).

Calcium Phosphate. In other embodiments of the present invention, a nucleic acid is introduced to the cells using calcium phosphate precipitation. Human KB cells have been transfected with adenovirus 5 DNA (Graham and Van Der Eb, 1973) using this technique. Also in this manner, mouse L(A9), mouse C127, CHO, CV-1, BHK, NIH3T3 and HeLa cells were transfected with a neomycin marker gene (Chen and Okayama, 1987), and rat hepatocytes were transfected with a variety of marker genes (Rippe et al., 1990).

DEAE-Dextran. In another embodiment, a nucleic acid is delivered into a cell using DEAE-dextran followed by polyethylene glycol. In this manner, reporter plasmids were introduced into mouse myeloma and erythroleukemia cells (Gopal, 1985).

Sonication Loading. Additional embodiments of the present invention include the introduction of a nucleic acid by direct sonic loading. LTK⁻ fibroblasts have been transfected with the thymidine kinase gene by sonication loading (Fechheimer et al., 1987).

Liposome-Mediated Transfection. In a further embodiment of the invention, a nucleic acid may be entrapped in a lipid complex such as, for example, a liposome. Liposomes are vesicular structures characterized by a phospholipid bilayer membrane and an inner aqueous medium. Multilamellar liposomes have multiple lipid layers separated by aqueous medium. They form spontaneously when phospholipids are suspended in an excess of aqueous solution. The lipid components undergo self-rearrangement before the formation of closed structures and entrap water and dissolved solutes between the lipid bilayers (Ghosh and Bachhawat, 1991). Also contemplated is an nucleic acid complexed with Lipofectamine (Gibco BRL) or Superfect (Qiagen).

Liposome-mediated nucleic acid delivery and expression of foreign DNA in vitro has been very successful (Nicolau and Sene, 1982; Fraley et al., 1979; Nicolau et al., 1987). The feasibility of liposome-mediated delivery and expression of foreign DNA in cultured chick embryo, HeLa and hepatoma cells has also been demonstrated (Wong et al., 1980).

In certain embodiments of the invention, a liposome may be complexed with a hemagglutinating virus (HVJ). This has been shown to facilitate fusion with the cell membrane and promote cell entry of liposome-encapsulated DNA (Kaneda et al., 1989). In other embodiments, a liposome may be complexed or employed in conjunction with nuclear non-histone chromosomal proteins (HMG-1) (Kato et al., 1991). In yet further embodiments, a liposome may be complexed or employed in conjunction with both HVJ and HMG-1. In other embodiments, a delivery vehicle may comprise a ligand and a liposome.

Receptor Mediated Transfection. Still further, a nucleic acid may be delivered to a target cell via receptor-mediated delivery vehicles. These take advantage of the selective uptake of macromolecules by receptor-mediated endocytosis that will be occurring in a target cell. In view of the cell type-specific distribution of various receptors, this delivery method adds another degree of specificity to the present invention.

Certain receptor-mediated gene targeting vehicles comprise a cell receptor-specific ligand and a nucleic acid-binding agent. Others comprise a cell receptor-specific ligand to which the nucleic acid to be delivered has been operatively attached. Several ligands have been used for receptor-mediated gene transfer (Wu and Wu, 1987; Wagner et al., 1990; Perales et al., 1994; Myers, EPO 0273085), which establishes the operability of the technique. Specific delivery in the context of another mammalian cell type has been described (Wu and Wu, 1993; incorporated herein by reference). In certain aspects of the present invention, a ligand will be chosen to correspond to a receptor specifically expressed on the target cell population.

In other embodiments, a nucleic acid delivery vehicle component of a cell-specific nucleic acid targeting vehicle may comprise a specific binding ligand in combination with a liposome. The nucleic acid(s) to be delivered are housed within the liposome and the specific binding ligand is functionally incorporated into the liposome membrane. The liposome will thus specifically bind to the receptor(s) of a target cell and deliver the contents to a cell. Such systems have been shown to be functional using systems in which, for example, epidermal growth factor (EGF) is used in the receptor-mediated delivery of a nucleic acid to cells that exhibit upregulation of the EGF receptor.

In still further embodiments, the nucleic acid delivery vehicle component of a targeted delivery vehicle may be a liposome itself, which will preferably comprise one or more lipids or glycoproteins that direct cell-specific binding. For example, lactosyl-ceramide, a galactose-terminal asialganglioside, have been incorporated into liposomes and observed an increase in the uptake of the insulin gene by hepatocytes (Nicolau et al., 1987). It is contemplated that the tissue-specific transforming constructs of the present invention can be specifically delivered into a target cell in a similar manner.

xii. Host Cells

As used herein, the terms “cell,” “cell line,” and “cell culture” may be used interchangeably. All of these terms also include their progeny, which is any and all subsequent generations. It is understood that all progeny may not be identical due to deliberate or inadvertent mutations. In the context of expressing a heterologous nucleic acid sequence, “host cell” refers to a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell, and it includes any transformable organism that is capable of replicating a vector and/or expressing a heterologous gene encoded by a vector. A host cell can, and has been, used as a recipient for vectors. A host cell may be “transfected” or “transformed,” which refers to a process by which exogenous nucleic acid is transferred or introduced into the host cell. A transformed cell includes the primary subject cell and its progeny. As used herein, the terms “engineered” and “recombinant” cells or host cells are intended to refer to a cell into which an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, such as, for example, a vector, has been introduced. Therefore, recombinant cells are distinguishable from naturally-occurring cells which do not contain a recombinantly introduced nucleic acid. Of particular interest in the present invention are muscle cells, such as cardiac and skeletal muscles, and muscle cell progenitors.

4. Screening Assays

The present invention also contemplates the screening of compounds, e.g., peptides, polypeptides, nucleic acids or small molecules, for various abilities to mimic, or interfere with the function of the miRNAs described herein. In the screening assays of the present invention, the candidate substance may first be screened for basic biochemical activity—e.g., binding to a target RNA sequence, inhibition of miRNA binding thereto, alteration in gene expression—and then further tested for function in at the cellular or whole animal level.

A. Modulators

The present invention provides methods of screening for agents that alter the activity or expression of miRNAs. As used herein, the term “candidate substance” refers to any molecule that may potentially modulate the function of miR-1-1, miR-1-2 or miR-133a2. The candidate substance may be a peptide, or a small molecule inhibitor, or even a nucleic acid molecule.

One may simply acquire, from various commercial sources, small molecule libraries that are believed to meet the basic criteria for useful drugs in an effort to “brute force” the identification of useful compounds. Screening of such libraries, including combinatorially generated libraries (e.g., peptide libraries), is a rapid and efficient way to screen large number of related (and unrelated) compounds for activity. Combinatorial approaches also lend themselves to rapid evolution of potential drugs by the creation of second, third and fourth generation compounds modeled of active, but otherwise undesirable compounds.

Candidate compounds may include fragments or parts of naturally-occurring compounds or may be found as active combinations of known compounds which are otherwise inactive. It is proposed that compounds isolated from natural sources, such as animals, bacteria, fungi, plant sources, including leaves and bark, and marine samples may be assayed as candidates for the presence of potentially useful pharmaceutical agents. It will be understood that the pharmaceutical agents to be screened could also be derived or synthesized from chemical compositions or man-made compounds. Thus, it is understood that the candidate substance identified by the present invention may be a polypeptide, polynucleotide, small molecule inhibitor or any other compounds that may be developed through rational drug design starting from known compounds that affect these miRNAs, such as myoD, myocardin and SRF.

It will, of course, be understood that all the screening methods of the present invention are useful in themselves notwithstanding the fact that effective candidates may not be found. The invention provides methods for screening for such candidates, not solely methods of finding them.

B. In cyto Assays

Various cells naturally express miR-1-1, miR-1-2 or miR-133a2 and can be utilized for screening of candidate substances. Of particular interest are muscle cells, such as cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, and progenitors therefor. Other cells may be engineered to express miR-1-1, miR-1-2 or miR-133a2, or may contain the control regions for the corresponding genes linked to screenable marker genes, permitting one to assess the effects of a candidate substance on the expression of miR-1-1, miR-1-2 or miR-133a2. Alternatively, one may look at the expression of Hand2 or thymosin β4, both of which have their expression modulated by miR-1-1, miR-1-2 or miR-133a2.

Assays may be employed within the scope of the instant invention for determination of the relative efficiency of gene expression. Gene expression may be determined by measuring the production of miRNA in question. The product may be isolated and/or detected by methods well known in the art. Following detection, one may compare the results seen in a given cell line or individual with a statistically significant reference group of non-transformed control cells.

Northern analysis is a method used to identify RNA sequences that hybridize to a known probe such as all oligonucleotide, DNA fragment, cDNA or fragment thereof, or RNA fragment. The probe is labeled with a radioisotope such as 32-P, or by biotinylation, or with an enzyme. The RNA to be analyzed is usually electrophoretically separated on an agarose or polyacrylamide gel, transferred to nitrocellulose, nylon, or other suitable membrane, and hybridized with the probe, using standard techniques well known in the art such as those described in sections 7.39-7.52 of Sambrook et al., supra.

The technique of “polymerase chain reaction,” or PCR, as used generally herein, refers to a procedure wherein minute amounts of a specific piece of nucleic acid, RNA and/or DNA, are amplified as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,195. Generally, sequence information from the ends of the region of interest or beyond needs to be available, such that oligonucleotide primers can be designed; these primers will be identical or similar in sequence to opposite strands of the template to be amplified. The 5′ terminal nucleotides of the two primers may coincide with the ends of the amplified material. PCR can be used to amplify specific RNA sequences, specific DNA sequences from total genomic DNA, and cDNA transcribed from total cellular RNA, bacteriophage or plasmid sequences, etc. See generally, Mullis et al., (1987); Erlich (1989). As used herein, PCR will be coupled with reverse transcription (RT) to convert RNA into DNA prior to amplification. Methods for coupled RT-PCR are well known in the art and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,652, incorporated herein by reference.

Significantly, RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) is the most sensitive technique for mRNA quantitation currently available. Compared to the two other commonly used techniques for quantifying mRNA levels, Northern blot analysis and Rnase protection assay, RT-PCR can be used to quantify mRNA levels from much smaller samples. In fact, this technique is sensitive enough to enable quantitation of RNA from a single cell.

Over the last several years, the development of novel chemistries and instrumentation platforms enabling detection of PCR products on a real-time basis has led to widespread adoption of real-time RT-PCR as the method of choice for quantitating changes in gene expression. At the start of any PCR reaction, the amplification proceeds at a constant, exponential rate, due to the excess of reagents. The reaction rate ceases to be exponential and enters a linear phase of amplification, after which the amplification rate drops to near zero (plateaus), and little more product is made. In order to accurately assess nucleic acid quantiteis, it is necessary to collect data at a point in which every sample is in the exponential phase of amplification, since it is only in this phase that amplification is extremely reproducible. Unfortunately, the point at which this transition takes place is highly variable. Real-time PCR automates this otherwise laborious process by quantitating reaction products for each sample in every cycle. The result is an amazingly broad 10⁷-fold dynamic range, with no user intervention or replicates required.

Currently, four different technologies—TaqMan® (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif., USA), Molecular Beacons, Scorpions® and SYBR® Green (Molecular Probes)—are available for real-time PCR. Each approach allows detection of PCR products through the generation of a fluorescent signal. TaqMan probes, Molecular Beacons and Scorpions depend on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to generate the fluorescence signal via the coupling of a fluorogenic dye molecule and a quencher moeity to the same or different oligonucleotide substrates. SYBR Green is a fluorogenic dye that exhibits little fluorescence when in solution, but emits a strong fluorescent signal upon binding to double-stranded DNA. The TaqMan probes, Molecular Beacons and Scorpions also allow multiple DNA species to be measured in the same sample (multiplex PCR), since fluorescent dyes with different emission spectra may be attached to the different probes.

Another option for quantitating RNA species is relative quantitative RT-PCR, which uses primers for an internal control that are multiplexed in the same RT-PCR reaction with the gene specific primers. Internal control and gene-specific primers must be compatible, i.e., they must not produce additional bands or hybridize to each other. Common internal controls include β-actin and GAPDH mRNAs and 18S rRNA. Unlike Northerns and nuclease protection assays, the selection and implementation of controls in relative quantitative RT-PCR requires substantial optimization.

For relative quantitative RT-PCR data to be useful, the PCR reaction must be terminated when the products from both the internal control and the gene of interest are detectable and are being amplified within exponential phase. Because control RNA targets are often high abundance genes, their amplification surpasses exponential phase after only a few PCR cycles. It is therefore difficult to identify compatible exponential phase conditions where the PCR product from a rare message is detectable. However, for more common species, this approach works well.

5. Methods of Inducing or Inhibiting Muscle Cell Differentiation

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided methods for both inducing and inhibiting muscle cell differentiation. With regard to the former, agonists of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, and/or miR-133a2 include these molecules and expression constructs coding therefore (described above). Also envisioned are small molecules, proteins and nucleic acids identified in accordance with the screening methods set forth herein.

In inhibiting muscle cell differentiation, one may envision that populations of muscle cell progenitors, including stem cells, may be treated with an antagonist of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, and/or miR-133a2, thereby permitting their maintenance, modification (e.g., transformation) or expansion in culture. In addition, it may be possible to reprogram adult muscle (skeletal, cardiac) cells in vivo to address the treatment of pathologic conditions such as myocardial infarcts. Antagonists can be of any kind, but particularly contemplated antagonists included antisense (modified and unmodified) constructs.

6. Examples

The following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practice of the invention, and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Example 1 Materials and Methods

Bioinformatics. Multiple sequence alignment was constructed by ClustaIX 1.83 with appropriate settings, and promoter analysis was performed with rVISTA. PatScan program was used for targets search, and energy and RNA folding were determined by mFold. Average ΔG in each species was determined by randomly selecting 60 3′ UTR fragments of 70 bp in length. The inventor determined the RNA secondary structure of each miRNA binding site plus 30 bp flanking sequence on each side. The inventor set the following values as a cut-off to define DSE and SE based on our observation. Average stem length was calculated for each species from at least 60 randomly selected sequences and cutoff for a SE stem was defined as: ≧8 bp (worm); ≧9 bp (flies); ≧10 bp (mice). Loops or unstructured single strands were defined as DSE with the following length cutoffs: hairpin loop, ≧11 bp; interior loop, ≧9 bp; bulge loop, ≧7 bp; multiple-branching loop, ≧11 bp; joint sequence and free end, ≧11 bp.

Plasmid construction. Target sequences and their mutant forms were synthesized as DNA oligos. After annealing and concatamerization, 4 copies of the target sequence were excised using a sized gel, blunt ended and sub-cloned into pGL-TK vector. To express miR-1s in COS1, the genomic sequence containing pre-miR-1s plus about 50 bp flanking each side were inserted into pcDNA3. Site-directed PCR-mediated mutagenesis was performed using pfu DNA polymerase. RT-PCR was performed using Superscript III first-strand synthesis system (Invitrogen).

Cell transfection, EMSA, Luciferase assay, Northern blot and Western blot. Plasmid transfection was performed in 12-well plates using FuGENE 6 (Roche). RSVlacZ expression construct was cotransfected to normalize for transfection efficiency. Luciferase and β-gal activities in the cell extract were assayed 36 h after transfection using the Luciferase Assay System (Promega). All experiments were repeated at least three times, and representative results are shown. Northern blot was performed as described25. Western blot was performed on heart lysates by standard methods using specific antibodies. EMSA was performed as previously described (Yamagishi et al., 2003).

Generation of transgenic mice. Transgenic mice were generated and β-gal staining and histological analyses were performed as previously described (Yamagishi et al., 2003). For promoter analysis, different fragments were sub-cloned into pHsp68lacZ reporter vector. For over-expression, miR-1 was sub-cloned into α-MHCclone26 or β-MHCclone32 vectors.

Example 2 Results

MiR-1-1 and miR-1-2 are expressed in developing cardiac and skeletal muscle. To determine whether miRNAs play a role in cardiac development or homeostasis, the inventor searched for miRNAs that were expressed in the cardiovascular system and were conserved across species ranging from flies to humans. Among these, miRNA1 (miR-1) appeared cardiacenriched based on our in silico data and previous reports (Lee and Ambros, 2001; Lagos-Quintana et al., 2001). The miR-1 subfamily consists of two closely related miRNAs, encoded by distinct genes, which share near complete identity and are designated miR-1-1 and miR-1-2. The inventor found that the putative miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 sequences, based on genomic sequence from different species, were highly conserved (FIG. 1A). Northern blot revealed that miR-1s were 21 base pairs in length and were expressed specifically in the heart and skeletal muscle of adult mice (FIG. 1B and FIG. 5).

Due to the similarity in miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 sequence and the small size of microRNAs, the relative expression of each miR-1 could not be determined, nor could mRNA in situ hybridization be used to delineate the embryonic expression domains of miR-1s. The inventor therefore searched for enhancers that might regulate transcription of miR-1-1 or miR-1-2 in vivo in order to define the tissue-specific expression and regulation of miR-1s during embryogenesis. Comparison of genomic sequence across species using rVISTA revealed that a 4.6 kb or 10.7 kb genomic region around miR-1-1 or miR-1-2, respectively, was conserved between human and mouse (FIG. 1C). The inventor found that the 4.6 kb miR-1-1 fragment was sufficient to direct lacZ expression in the hearts of transgenic mice after embryonic day (E) 8.5 (FIG. 1D) with expression strongest in the inner curvature of the looping heart tube at this stage. The inner curvature is less proliferative than the outer curvature, which is expanding and ballooning ventrally to form the cardiac chambers. In addition, expression of miR-1-1 was more robust in the developing atria compared to ventricles at early stages. Cardiac expression became more robust and uniform as cardiomyocyte differentiation proceeded and expression in the myotome of somites also became apparent as skeletal muscle differentiation began (FIG. 1D). Similarly, the 10.7 kb miR-1-2 fragment contained all the regulatory elements necessary to drive lacZ expression in the embryonic ventricles and somites at similar stages as that described for miR-1-1 (FIG. 1E). In contrast to miR-1-1, miR-1-2-lacZ was only expressed in the ventricles, but not atria, suggesting chamber-specificity of miR-1 activity (FIG. 1E). Both miR-1 enhancers directed expression in the outflow tract of the heart, which arises from a secondary heart field27, distinct from the primary heart field that contributes to atrial and left ventricular myocardium (FIGS. 1D,E).

miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 are direct targets of SRF in the heart. To help elucidate the cellular pathways in which miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 function the inventor searched for the precise cis elements and transcription factors that were responsible for the lacZ expression described above. Deletion analyses suggested that 2.6 kb or 0.35 kb regions were sufficient for full miR-1-1 or miR-1-2 expression, respectively (FIGS. 2A,B). Within these regions the inventor noted several cis elements conserved between human and mouse that represented potential binding sites for the essential cardiac transcription factors, Mef2, SRF, Nkx2.5 and Gata4. SRF sites in the miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 enhancers were nearly identical and highly conserved in human, mouse and chick, as were Mef2 and MyoD sites in miR-1-1 or in miR-1-2, respectively (FIGS. 2C,D). In transgenic mice, the Mef2 site in the miR-1-1 enhancer was dispensable for cardiac expression but was necessary for full somite regulation. Mutation of the miR-1-1 SRF site abolished expression in the heart, while disruption of both sites abolished all activity of the enhancer (FIG. 2A). Consistent with a cardiac requirement for SRF, mutation of the SRF site in the miR-1-2 regulatory region disrupted cardiac expression of miR-1-2 while mutation of the MyoD site only partially affected somitic expression (FIG. 2B).

SRF, Mef2 or MyoD could each bind their respective site in gel electromobility shift assays and specificity of interaction was determined by use of competition with wild-type or mutant oligonucleotides and/or antibody-mediated supershifts (FIGS. 2C,D). SRF is a weak activator of numerous muscle-specific genes and is thought to mediate muscle differentiation by regulating decisions of cellular proliferation and differentiation (Norman et al., 1988; Miralles et al., 2003; Miano et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2004). During cardiac and smooth muscle development, the SAP domain protein myocardin serves as a potent co-activator for SRF and promotes muscle differentiation (Wang et al., 2001; Wang and Olson, 2004). Consistent with this, the inventor found that SRF was a weak activator of luciferase under control of the miR-1-1 or miR-1-2 enhancers, but synergized with myocardin to activate the miR-1 enhancers (FIG. 2E, and data not shown). Mutation of the SRF binding site disrupted activity, suggesting that the transcriptional activity of SRF and myocardin on the miR-1 enhancers was through the highly conserved SRF-binding cis element (FIG. 2E). To determine if SRF was required for miR-1 expression in vivo, the inventor examined RNA from hearts lacking SRF through tissue-specific disruption of the SRF gene28. The inventor found that miR-1 transcripts were decreased in SRF heterozygous hearts and were undetectable by RT-PCR in SRF homozygous mutant hearts (FIG. 2F). These data provide the first detailed embryonic description of miRNA expression and transcriptional regulation in mammals and suggest that miR-1-1 and miR-1-2 function in SRF-myocardin dependent pathways in cardiac progenitors and are MyoD/Mef2 responsive in skeletal precursors.

MiR-1 regulates ventricular cardiomyocyte proliferation and expansion. To determine if the dosage of miR-1 target genes might be important in the SRF-dependent balance of proliferation and differentiation, the inventor over-expressed miR-1 specifically in the developing heart under control of the β-MHC promoter, which directs high levels of expression by E9.0. Excessive miR-1 expression resulted in developmental arrest at E13.5 secondary to thin-walled ventricles and heart failure (FIGS. 3A-G). The more proliferative compact zone in miR-1 transgenic embryos was only 3-5 cell layers in thickness in contrast to nontransgenic littermates, which contained layers of 8-10 cells. Analysis of mitogenic activity using the phophohistone H3 antibody revealed a significant decrease in the number of cycling myocardial cells in miR-1 transgenic mice at E13.5 (FIGS. 3A-G), while no increase in apoptotic cells was observed (data not shown). Thus, a decrease in the protein levels of miR-1 targets during cardiogenesis resulted in a proliferation defect and failure of ventricular cardiomyocyte expansion. Given that miR-1 is regulated by SRF and myocardin, the phenotype is consistent with premature differentiation and early cell cycle withdrawal of myocytes (Shin et al., 2002).

MiR-1 targets Hand2 mRNA for post-transcriptional regulation. Genetic studies in flies and worms have revealed several validated miRNA targets (Table 2). Recently several groups have developed computational methods to predict miRNAs targets based on the fundamental assumption that the 5′ nucleotides of miRNA are most critical for target recognition (Lai, 2002; Stark et al., 2003; Lewis et al., 2003; Kiriakidou et al., 2004; John et al., 2004; Lewis et al., 2005). While sequence-based predictions have been successful in plants, the algorithms employed to date for non-plant miRNAs often result in few overlapping targets and large-scale predictions have not yet been validated by demonstration of activity on endogenous targets in vivo (Lewis et al., 2003; Kiriakidou et al., 2004; John et al., 2004; Lewis et al., 2005; Rhoades et al., 2002). The two vertebrate exceptions are the demonstration of Hoxb8 as a target of miR-196, which was facilitated by a nearly perfect sequence match in the 3′ UTR of Hoxb8, and the miR-375 target Myotrophin involved in insulin secretion (Yekta et al., 2004; Poy et al., 2004).

Target accessibility has long been established as an important factor for effectiveness of antisense oligonucleotides and siRNA-mediated silencing (Lee et al., 2002) and the inventor therefore postulated that it may also be involved in miRNA target repression. To test this idea, the inventor used the program mFold to analyze all miRNA repression targets identified to date, and found that virtually all miRNA binding sites in 3′ UTRs were located in “unstable” regions based on free energy predictions (ΔG) and RNA structure. Table 2 lists the free energy of the flanking 70 nucleotides 3′ and 5′ of the one or more predicted miRNA target sequences in the 3′ UTR of validated target genes. The ΔG of the 5′ or 3′ flanking region around at least one of the predicted miRNA binding sites within the 3′ UTR of each target gene was significantly lower than the average ΔG within that species (Table 2), suggesting a locally linear RNA structure around the target mRNA binding site that could not form tight stems.

TABLE 2 5′70 bp 3′70 miRNA Target Site (ΔG) bp (ΔG) DSE SE Lin-4 Lin-14 I 7.7 3.4 — — II 7.8 1.5 IL — III 2.6 4.2 HL — IV 5.0 8.3 — — V 4.2 10.6 — — VI 9.3 8.7 — Stem VII 3.2 3.0 Joint — Lin-28 I 0.6 10.1 Free end — Lin-57 I 10.2 8.2 Joint — II 3.1 4.8 HL — Let-7 Lin-41 I 0.6 7.6 Joint — II 9.4 7.2 MBL — III 6.2 7.2 IL — IV 8.1 6.3 IL — V 5.1 9.4 HL, Free end Stem VI 12.4 5.9 HL Stem Lin-41(mt) I 0.6 4.4 — — II 6.6 7.2 — — daf-12 I 1.6 10.2 IL — II 8.9 1.1 HL, Free end — Lin-57 I 1.5 3.9 MBL — II 8.1 8.8 — — III 5.9 4.7 Free end — IV 2.3 0.7 MBL — V 0.3 0.1 HL — VI 0.2 0.3 HL, Free end — VII 0.7 3.8 Free end — VIII 0.3 9.0 Free end — Lsy-6 Cog-1 I 1.1 1.7 Free end — miR-273 Die-1 I 3.8 0.3 Free end — II 4.1 5.5 MBL — Bantam Hid I 3.4 8.6 HL — II 9.5 9.2 HL — III 1.3 4.1 Free end — IV 24.7 19.2 — — V 8.6 7.2 Joint — miR-196 Hoxb8 I 12.8 1.6 HL — miR-375 Myotrophin I 9.2 7.2 — — In silico analysis of previously described miRNA targets. Free-energy (ΔG) analysis of sequence flanking each putative target binding site and description of destabilizing elements (DSE) or stabilizing elements (SE) within binding sites. IL, interior loop; HL, hairpin loop; MBL, multi-branching loop. Top portion (C. elegans; Avg ΔG-7.2); middle portion (D. melanogaster; Avg ΔG-8.5); bottom portion (M. musculus; Avg ΔG-13.4).

However, genes that had multiple putative binding sites typically had several sites that were in regions of high ΔGs. To resolve this, the inventor compared the conservation of high ΔG versus low ΔG sites in closely related worm (Meister and Tuschl, 2004) or fly (Abrahante et al., 2003) species in an attempt to better predict validity of true target sites. The inventor found that virtually all high ΔG sites had variances in the sequence matching the critical 5′ region of the miRNA, several of-which would clearly disrupt interaction as seen in lin-14 (Site VI for lin-4) and lin-57 (Site II for let-7), making it unlikely that such sites are true targets (FIG. 6). In contrast every low ΔG site was completely conserved in all species, consistent with the idea that they may represent actual target sites (FIG. 6). Consistent with the cross-species data, previous deletion of high ΔG sites in lin-41 (sites III-VI for let-7) suggested that they were dispensible. Together, the conservation of target sites within Caenorhabditis and Drosphila species and mutational analyses support the predictive value of the free energy of sequences flanking true miRNA target sites.

In addition to the flanking sequence, the inventor analyzed the stability of the predicted miRNA target sequence itself to determine if RNA structural features could be found that might affect accessibility and enhance specificity of target prediction. In a simplified view, secondary structure of RNA can be composed of stems, loops or unstructured single strands. Long stems are stabilizing elements (SE) and might render the RNA less accessible to miRNAs, while all long loops, including hairpin, interior, bulge and multi-branching loops could be considered as destabilizing elements (DSE). Unstructured single strands, including joint sequences and free ends are also destabilizing and together with other DSE may represent structures that permit miRNA and target sequence interaction. The inventor found that no validated target sites contained SE, while most target sequences did have DSE; several putative sites that had high ΔG's or had been experimentally dispensible also had SE. Consistent with this idea, reported mutations in the spacer region between sites I and II in Lin-41 (10), which abolished repression, altered the secondary structure resulting in the loss of DSE, possibly explaining the effect of these mutations (Table 2 and FIG. 6). There were almost no exceptions to the association of SE or DSE with targets, suggesting that the presence or absence of SE and DSE might have predictive value in an in silico screen for putative miRNA targets.

Based on the observations above, the inventor searched for putative miR-1 targets with several assumptions and criteria (FIG. 4A). First, the inventor searched for mRNAs that had a complete match to the first 8 nucleotides of miR-1. Second, consistent with recent reports of free energy of binding (Doench and Sharp, 2004), an A to G switch at the 8^(th) nucleotide gave the strongest ΔG, suggesting that a G-U wobble at this position would be allowed (or maybe preferred) for miR-1 binding to its mRNA targets. Third, the inventor assumed that true 3′ UTR targets would share conservation between chick, mouse, rat and human. Finally, the inventor analyzed the local mRNA secondary structure 70 bp 5′ and 3′ of the putative miRNA binding site using mFold, selecting for instability within the predicted region, and assessed the secondary structure of the target sequence for SE or DSE.

Using these criteria, the inventor scanned all known mRNA 3′UTRs for potential miR-1 targets. Approximately 13 mRNAs matched miR-1 and the putative target sequences were conserved across species (FIG. 4B). However, most 5′ and 3′ flanking regions had ΔG's that were close to the species average and did not suggest local, instability (FIG. 4B). To validate putative targets and to test whether the ΔG/(D)SE would add further specificity to the in silico screen, the inventor elected for further study a few predicted targets that were co-expressed with miR-1s in the heart or skeletal muscle. One of these, the transcription factor Hand2, had a particularly unstable 5′ region with a ΔG of 4.6 and animals lacking Hand2 are well-characterized to have a failure of ventricular cardiomyocyte expansion ((Yelon et al., 2000; Srivastava et al., 1997; Yamagishi et al., 2001; McFadden et al., 2005). The inventor also chose to test thymosin β4, a G-actin sequestering protein expressed during cardiogenesis43, which did not have a predicted ΔG lower than the average but showed high sequence complementarity with miR-1 (FIG. 7).

Previous studies suggest that miRNA binding sites are transferable and sufficient to confer miRNA-dependent translational repression (Yekta et al., 2004; Doench and Sharp, 2004), so the inventor placed multimers of about 80 bp containing the predicted miR-1 target site from Hand2 or thymosin β4 3′UTRs into the 3′ UTR of a luciferase reporter plasmid (FIG. 4C). The inventor introduced the luciferase expression vector under a constitutively active promoter with or without miR-1 into Cos1 cells and measured the level of luciferase enzyme activity to determine the effects of miR-1 on luciferase translation in the presence of its target sequence. Transfection of the Hand2 chimeric luciferase reporters into Cos1 cells, which do not express any endogenous miR-1 (FIG. 1B), consistently resulted in a decrease in luciferase activity upon introduction of wild-type miR-1 (FIG. 4D). This was uniformly true for the putative miR-1 target region from the 3′ UTR of mouse, chick, frog or fish, suggesting evolutionary conservation of Hand2 as a miR-1 target. In this assay, the 3′ UTR of thymosin β4 also resulted in decreased luciferase activity. The mutant target sequence for Hand2 or thymosin β4 fused to the 3′ UTR of luciferase was not responsive to wild-type miR-1, suggesting specificity of the repression effect. Furthermore, mutant miR-1s (FIG. 4C) had no effect on the wild-type target sequences, but could partially repress translation of luciferase transcripts containing the corresponding mutant 3′ UTRs (FIG. 4D).

While the ability of miRNAs to repress translation of chimeric luciferase reporters is a useful screening tool, it remains a surrogate for testing the effect of miRNAs on their putative targets and can result in misleading assessment of targets. To more directly test the validity of our putative targets, the inventor asked if miR-1 could repress endogenous protein expression in vivo in transgenic mice (FIG. 8). Western blot of transgenic hearts overexpressing miR-1 demonstrated a significant decrease in Hand2 protein compared to non-transgenic littermates, confirming Hand2 as a miR-1 target in vivo (FIG. 4E). No change in mRNA of Hand2 was noted (FIG. 4E). Together, the in silico, in vitro and in vivo data provided compelling evidence that Hand2 is a true target of miR-1 during cardiogenesis. In contrast, the inventor could not detect any discernable difference of thymosin β4 protein in the miR-1 overexpressing transgenic hearts compared to wild-type, though the putative miR-1 binding site in thymosin β4 showed perfect sequence complementarity and conservation across at least 9 species (FIG. 7). This was consistent with the high ΔG regions around the target sequence. Similarly, despite the low ΔG for another putative target, IGF1, the inventor did not detect any change in IGF1 protein level in transgenic hearts, consistent with the presence of a SE in the target sequence (FIG. 4B). These findings suggest that local RNA secondary structure may indeed be critical in miRNA-mediated repression and highlights the complexity of target prediction and risk of reliance on surrogate reporters for target specificity.

* * *

All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain agents which are both chemically and physiologically related may be substituted for the agents described herein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

7. References

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplary procedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, are specifically incorporated herein by reference.

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What is claimed is:
 1. A method of inducing differentiation of a muscle progenitor cell in vitro comprising contacting said cell with an agonist of miR-1-1 or miR-1-2 activity or expression.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising culturing said cell in vitro.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein proliferation of the muscle progenitor cell is inhibited following the step of contacting said cell with the agonist.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the agonist is a nucleic acid encoding miR-1-1 or miR-1-2.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the agonist is an expression cassette encoding miR-1-1 or miR-1-2.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the muscle progenitor cell is a stem cell.
 7. A method of inhibiting differentiation of a muscle progenitor cell in vitro comprising contacting said cell with an antagonist of miR-1-1 or miR-1-2 activity or expression.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the antagonist is an antisense DNA or an antisense RNA.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising culturing said cell in vitro.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the muscle progenitor cell is a stem cell. 